I have no connection to the Kodakara hawala scandal: BJP Rajya Sabha member Lehar Singh
Accusation of using hawala money for BJP's election expenses
Kochi: The name of Rajya Sabha MP Lehar Singh Siroya, a senior BJP leader alleged to be the source of the money laundering case in Kodakara, has surfaced. Siroya, a former Karnataka MLC, has been implicated as a key figure behind the operations, according to a report from the Kerala Police shared with the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The report suggests that Siroya is involved in the illegal transfer of funds into Kerala. It includes details such as his phone number and mentions that the funds were intended for the BJP's election expenditures in Kerala during the 2021 elections. Siroya is also noted for his close ties with national leaders of the BJP.
Previously, reports indicated that ₹41.20 crores flowed into Kerala during the last assembly election period. The names of Kerala leaders such as K. Surendran, M. Ganesh, and Girishan Nair were also mentioned in the report.
In response to the allegations, Siroya has stated that he knows nothing about the Kodakara money laundering case. He claimed in a conversation with Mathrubhumi News that he has not been in Kerala for the past seven years.
Siroya emphasised that he has not been contacted by the Kerala Police regarding this matter. He further stated that he has no prior acquaintance with state leaders, including BJP's state president K. Surendran, asserting that he only knows V. Muraleedharan, with whom he had a relationship during Muraleedharan’s tenure as a Union Minister. He denied being involved in any such transactions and warned that if his name continues to be misused in news reports without his permission, he would file a defamation case.
The report highlights that Siroya, who was a sitting MLC in Karnataka at the time, has been accused of being involved in the illegal transfer of funds into Kerala, which were allegedly intended for the BJP's campaign expenditures. This ongoing investigation has brought significant attention to Siroya, especially due to his connections with national BJP leaders.
Kerala government reopens Kodakara case amid controversy ahead of bypolls
The Kerala government decided to reopen the case after a former secretary of the BJP's Thrissur office claimed that cash-filled bags, marked as election materials, arrived at the office late on 2 April 2021.
The BJP in Kerala is once again embroiled in controversy ahead of the 13 November bypolls, with the state government deciding to further investigate the 2021 Kodakara hawala case. The decision came after Tirur Satheesh, the former office secretary of the BJP’s Thrissur district office, claimed that cash-filled bags marked as election materials arrived at the office on 2 April 2021, just before the Assembly elections.
BJP leaders perceive the government’s move to reopen the case as a political strategy to undermine their election efforts, noting that this could damage the party’s image at a critical moment. Adding to the BJP’s woes, the Kerala High Court had recently ordered a stay on the Kasaragod Sessions Court’s order discharging BJP state president K. Surendran from an election bribery case related to the 2021 Manjeswaram Assembly elections.
By-elections to the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly segments and the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency are scheduled for 13 November.
The significant development in the Kodakara case arose following Satheesh’s claims, leading Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss reopening the case with state police chief Dr. Shaik Darvesh Saheb on 1 November. The CPI(M) state secretariat has also discussed the situation, with party state Secretary MV Govindan stating that a comprehensive inquiry is necessary.
As the case is still under consideration of the Irinjalakuda First Class Judicial Magistrate Court, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Thrissur Range DIG will need to seek the judiciary’s permission for further investigation.
The Kodakara hawala case emerged as a high-profile political controversy in Kerala in 2021, involving an alleged illegal transfer of cash intended for election purposes. On 3 April 2021, just days before Kerala’s Assembly elections, reports surfaced of a robbery on the Kodakara highway in Thrissur district, initially claiming around ₹25 lakh was stolen. However, investigations revealed that the actual amount was over ₹3.5 crore in unaccounted cash, raising suspicions about its possible use in election-related activities and linking it to a hawala operation.
Subsequent reports suggested that the cash belonged to BJP members and was intended to fund their election campaigns in Kerala. Allegations arose that the money was part of an underground hawala network to bypass financial regulations.
Multiple arrests were made in connection to the hawala operation and the robbery, leading to a broader inquiry into whether the funds were linked to BJP’s election financing. A police report handed over to the Enforcement Directorate revealed that ₹41.40 crore was allegedly brought from Karnataka to Kerala during the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, mentioning the name of BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka Lehar Singh Siroya.
The BJP has denied any connection to the cash, asserting that it is an attempt to malign the party. However, Satheesh's claims that the stolen money was part of the party’s election fund and that he assisted in moving the moneybags from the ground floor to the party office have put the BJP on the defensive.
Meanwhile, the BJP state leadership dismissed Satheesh’s claims as baseless, accusing political opponents of spreading misinformation. They contend that Satheesh, ousted from the party two years ago on charges of financial misappropriation, is making allegations as an election gimmick. However, the Congress has alleged a deal between the CPI(M) and BJP, asserting that the reopening of the case is merely an eyewash during election time.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
